POLICY BULLETIN

PDF

What is new/changed?

STANDARD OPERATING PRACTICES
700-03
700-07
700-10

Why was the policy changed?

The modifications flow from a recommendation of the Parole Officer Working Group to further streamline case preparation in the community by combining the content of two reports required for National Parole Board decisions: the Community Strategy and the Assessment for Decision.

Furthermore, SOP 700-07 has also been changed to identify timeframes for completion of case preparation for provincial offenders applying for parole.

What is the purpose of the change?

The changes will allow the creation of one report that will eliminate duplication in the information presented to the Board.

It means that when the same Parole Officer in the community must prepare a Community Strategy and an Assessment for Decision, this will be done in one report.

This change applies to pre-release case preparation for:

• Accelerated Parole Review;
• non-APR offenders serving three years or less who have applied for day and/or full parole during the intake process;
• statutory release with conditions.

It applies to post-release case preparation for day parole to:

• day parole continued;
• full parole;
• statutory release.

The additional change to SOP 700-07 was a result of an EXCOM review in March 2003 of an investigation related to a provincial inmate on full parole charged with murder. Concerns were raised in the investigation report with respect to the timeliness of the completion of case preparation.

How was it developed?

The Parole Officer Working Group was formed to make recommendations to give Parole Officers more time to intervene with offenders and to support their professional development. It includes representation from National Headquarters, National Parole Board, Union of Solicitor General Employees and CSC regional staff and management.

The Commissioner asked the group to develop short-term recommendations for immediate implementation. The Executive Committee approved the change to the case preparation process at the December 2002 meeting.

Accountability?

In instances when the same Community Parole Officer is preparing the Community Strategy and the Assessment for Decision, he/she is responsible for combining the two reports.

In any situation where it is not the same Parole Officer completing the reports, the Community Strategy and Assessment for Decision will continue to be completed separately.

There will be no change in the applicable deadlines for preparing the reports. The Community Strategy remains due at 30 days after request, including those completed within an Assessment for Decision.

Who will be affected by the policy?

The amendments affect Community Parole Officers.

Changes to the timeframes in SOP 700-07 will affect Parole Officers in the Prairie and Atlantic regions.

Offenders will not be directly affected by this change. However, any streamlining of the process may have an overall positive impact on staff/offender interventions.

Expected cost?

This change will incur no additional costs.

Other impacts?

Since the original request for a Community Strategy generates a blank Correctional Plan Progress Report in the Offender Management System, the Parole Officer can complete this CPPR by setting the Level of Intervention. This is the only mandatory action required in this CPPR, which will also eliminate what appears to be an outstanding BF. To ensure that the completion of these reports is reported appropriately, staff are reminded to link the Assessment for Decision to the CPPR that was used to set the Level of Intervention

No changes will be made to the Offender Management System to implement this procedure.

Table of Contents